Spark arrester



Jan. 21, 1964 R. J. ACACIA SPARK ARRESTER Filed Dec. 7, 1960 INV EN TOR. ficco 4646/4 States *atent filice 3,118,749 SPARK ARQEdTl'ER Rocco .l. Acacia, 357 Wortinan Ave, Brooklyn 7, NLY. Filed Dec. '7, 1954), Ser. No. 74,409 1 Claim. (Cl. 55481) This invention relates generally to a spark arrester and is particularly concerned with an improved chimney spark arrester which may be readily applied to the opening of a chimney for the purpose of preventing the escape of ashes and sparks therefrom.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved chimney spark arrester which may be readily disassembled in the event that rapid access to the interior thereof, or to the interior of the chimney with which it is used, becomes necessary.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spark arrester of the character indicated which may be readily disassembled for cleaning and maintenance purposes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a spark arrester of the character indicated which employs removable screen elements.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a spark arrester of the character indicated which may be quickly mounted upon and removed from a chimney and which requires no specialized skill or tools to accomplish such mounting or removal.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a spark arrester of the character indicated which is of inherently simple and strong design and which is capale of economical manufacture.

ther and further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description as read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

in the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention and of a chimney upon which it is mounted;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the said embodiment of the invention;

FEGURE 3 is a plan view taken about the line 33 of 2 and showing the top screen employed in the aforesaid embodiment of the invention partially removed; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken about the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

The instant invention is intended for mounting upon the topmost portion of a chimney, such as that which commonly communicates with an incinerator. Such chimneys are frequently encountered on the roofs of apartment houses and present a fire hazard in that they afford the possibility of permitting burning ashes and sparks to escape therefrom. To avoid this difficulty, it has been customary to mount spark arresters upon these chimneys in order to minimize the range of travel of such sparks and ashes. However, conventional spark arresters, while inhibiting the escape of such burning material, frequently give rise to fires within the spark arrester itself. In such it often becomes necessary to extinguish such a fire and in so doing, it commonly occurs that the construction of conventional spark arresters is such as to interfere with this purpose. Hence, it often happens that in the course of extinguishing such fires, the spark arrester is destroyed by local fire department personnel. The same difficulty arises in connection with fires which have their origin in or spread to various portions of the chimney covered by such spark arrester, since the spark arrester also frequently interferes with access to those portions of the chimney involved.

The present invention solves these difficulties by providing an improved spark arrester which is readily and easily disassemblable, thereby eliminating any necessity for its destruction in the event of an emergency such as may be presented by the fires of the kind mentioned above.

Thus, as may be seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawing, one embodiment of the present invention comprises a spark arrester including a disassemblable frame constructed of angle iron and having means for supporting it upon a chimney. This frame is provided with a removable cover. Each face of the said frame and cover includes a removable screen.

The aforesaid frame includes four vertical members 10 which extend within the chimney 11 upon which the spark arrester is mounted, the said vertical members 10 being in approximate conformity with the inner corners of the chimney.

These vertical members are also removably secured, as by bolt and nut assemblies 12, to the means for supporting the spark arrester upon the chimney. This last-mentioned supporting means includes a rectangular skirt which is formed of angle iron and provided with horizontal flanges 14a, 14b contactable with the marginal erimeter 15 of the mouth of the chimney.

Each side of the spark arrester is provided with a removable, vertical screen which is preferably composed of a Wire mesh suitable for preventing the escape of sparks and ashes from the chimney.

As may be seen in FEGURE 4, as well as FIGURES 1 and 2, tWo of these screens 16a are slidably disposed within a pair of grooves provided upon opposing faces of the frame, the said grooves being defined by vertical guides 17 affixed to outer faces of the vertical members 10. Each of these guides is preferably constructed of angle iron and secured to said vertical members as by welding. The said screens also rest upon the horizontal flanges 14b presented by the rectangular skirt.

The remaining two screens 16b are also slidably disposed within a pair of grooves defined by vertical guides 18 affixed to inner faces of the vertical members 10. Each of these last-mentioned vertical guides 13 is also preferably constructed of angle iron and secured to said vertical members 10 as by welding. The screens 16b rest upon horizontal lips 19 depending from inner faces 14c of the rectangular skirt.

It will be seen from this construction that each of the screens may be manually removed merely by sliding them out of their grooves and that the vertical members may be rapidly disassembled from the aforesaid skirt upon removal of the bolts. It will also be noted that the entire unit may be lifted from the confines of the chimney, thereby affording quick access to its interior.

At the upper portion of the spark arrester there is also provided a cover, generally designated by the numeral 29 and including a rectangular member 21 which is constructed of angle iron and provided with a pair of horizontal guides 22 affixed to the vertical sides 21a of said rectangular member 21. These horizontal guides serve to confine a slidable removable screen 23 of wire mesh construction similar to that previously described in connection with the vertical screens. This screen in contactable with a stop 24 also mounted upon a vertical side 21b of the rectangular member 21. In the case of this screen, it may be rapidly removed, as desired, whenever access to the interior of the spark arrester is sought, such removal being accomplished simply by sliding the screen out of engagement with the cover. 50 also, the cover itself may be removed simply by lifting it from its contact with the vertical members it It will be seen from the foregoing that the present invention accomplishes a spark arrester device capable of extremely rapid disassembly, as well as re-assembly, and of ease of maintenance. Moreover, the construction involved is simple yet strong and in the event of any injury to one or more of the parts concerned, it may be easily replaced without necessitating replacement of the entire unit as such.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated and described hereinabove has been selected for the purpose of clearly setting forth the principles involved. It will be apparent, however, that the present invention is susceptible to being modified in respect to details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which may be resorted to Without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

A spark arrester comprising: four vertically ext riding angle members disposed to form the four corners, respectively, of a rectangle; a rectangular skirt provided on the outer surfaces of said angle m mbers above the lower ends of said angle members; shirt having hor zontal flanges adapted to seat on the upper marginal dge or" a rectangular chimney *when the respective portions or" said vertical members below said skirt are inserted into the chimney; each vertical mernb r being provided with a first guide on its outer surface and a second guide on its inner surface; each first guide and its associated outer surface defining an outer gnideway and second guide and its associated inner surface defining an inner guideway; a first screen slidaoiy disposed for vertical reciproca tion in a first pair of laterally spaced outer guideways and a second screen slidably disposed for vertical reciprocation in a second pair of laterally spaced outer guideways;

said first an second screens being in opposing relation and each being seated on an associated horizontal flange or said skirt; s skirt having a pair of opposing inwardly extending detents between said associated horizontal flanges thereof; a third screen slidably disposed for vertical r-- iprocation in a first pair of laterally spaced inner guidewa s a fourth screen slidably disposed for vertical reciprocation in a second pair or" laterally spaced inner guideways; said third and fourth screens being in opposing relation and each being seated on an associated one of said detents; said four screens substantially defining four sides of said rectangle; and a removabie rectangular horizontal ""ame seated on the upper ends of said four vertical members; said frame being provided With means denning a pair of opposing horizontal guideways thereon; and a 1 screen slidaoly disposed on said frame for horizo r grocation in said pair of horizontal guideways.

44,182 Griffith Sept. 13, 1864 1,426,196 iordahl Aug. 15, 1922 2,505,123 Lailrey et al. Apr. 25, 1950 2,735,657 King et al June 14, 1955 2,718,278 Sargent Sept. 20, 1955 2,933,153 Apr. 19, 1960 2,966,959 Neumann Ian. 3, 1961 2,976,796 Anthony et a1 Mar. 28, 1961 

